Who You Gonna Call

Nationally, there is no single organization to take care of cable complaints. The Federal Communications Commission, which handles grievances against broadcast TV, has little influence when it comes to cable.

Nor is there a one-stop complaint center in Southern California.

For gripes within Los Angeles that can’t be resolved with an individual cable operator, the Los Angeles Department of Telecommunications provides a consumer services line: (213) 485-2751.

Those outside of Los Angeles have a few options. For incorporated cities, call the local city hall to see if there’s an office or commissioner to oversee cable television. In unincorporated areas call the county government (in Los Angeles County, the cable complaint line is (213) 738-2323; in Orange County (714) 834-2115).

For information on cable legislation, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Consumer Cable Cop, P.O. Box 962, Sausalito, Calif., 94966. The organization takes cable complaints, too.